Stalker guilty in Johnson County case

A Johnson County teenager was found guilty Monday of aggravated assault in a 2013 stalking case.

Eric Kaplan, 19, had been charged with two counts of misdemeanor stalking, as well as marijuana possession and drug paraphernalia charges.

He pleaded no contest to an amended charge of aggravated assault, and was found guilty by Judge Brenda Cameron. He is to be sentenced Aug. 13.

Kaplan had been accused of two stalking incidents, said Jason Covington, assistant Johnson County district attorney. One involved a woman whom Kaplan allegedly followed in his car after she left a grocery store near 133rd Street and Mission Road in Leawood.

At one point she noticed in her rear view mirror that the driver behind her had pulled a black ski mask over his face. She called 911 and received instructions to drive toward a nearby police station.

A police officer pulled the driver over. The officer found a black mask, gloves, a knife, lubrication, a condom, a small amount of marijuana and a pipe in Kaplan’s vehicle.

The second charge involved an incident with a separate woman.

This story was originally published June 9, 2014 at 2:44 PM with the headline "Stalker guilty in Johnson County case."